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From Me to Me: Phoenix

Dear me,

You were a girl ! A girl in her twenties. You wanted to become a bride just to put heena in your hands. In those days you only knew about this art. No one had heard about tatoo.

You applied heena on your hands during your marriage. You knew and appreciated its importance whenever a festival or a marriage took place at home, applying mehndi by women folks used to seen as prosperity and good omen.

That was your marriage celebration. Beautiful designs which you made on your hands and feet were traditional Indian patterns. It looked as if Phoenix was tattooed on the palm, You know it seemed to me as if it was awakening the inner light. Turmeric was also used for the same purpose but it was used by the elderly women folk of the house. It also considered good omen.

You were so excited ! Running here and there dressed in bright sari and decked up with gold jewelry. I felt like blessing you that according to some legends, the phoenix could live over 1,400 years before rebirth in the same way the positivity of heena would bring happiness and permanency in your relationship with your husband.

So much has happened in last twenty years. You are a mother of two handsome sons who love to draw designs of heena on your palm. This time they would draw Phoenix for sure. How about one with open wings?

I remember when I first saw henna designs at our local Renaissance Fair; I thought they were so beautiful. I got a design around my ankle that had leaves and a vine. I felt so pretty wearing my henna “tatoo”. Since then I have gotten henna designs several times, as has my daughter. We love how it makes us feel feminine!

These are absolutely beautiful. What a wonderful, creative tradition. And in my humble opinion so much better than tattoo, since it changes with time and probably doesn’t hurt like hell either. I love the psychedelic patterning, a tapestry of the unconsciousness, I would call it. Thanks for sharing.